A Different World
by Trish the Dish
Summary: AU, JH; Meet a very different Jackie Burkhart.


A Different World

Author: Trish the Dish

Disclaimer: Not mine, but I'd like to borrow Hyde from Jackie for awhile.

Rating: R

Summary: AU, J/H; Meet a very different Jackie Burkhart.

Author's Notes: Jackie and Hyde are my OTP, and I've been wanting to write a T70S fanfic for quite some time now. So here it is, my very first story, I hope you guys enjoy.

* * *

A tiny brunette sat alone on a bench, her arms crossed and her mouth turned downward. She pulled at the bright, pink ribbons in her hair, itching to take them off and run to where the other kids were playing catch.

Eric Foreman, Michael Kelso, and Donna Pinciotti. Donna was wearing jeans and a ragged t-shirt, which the tiny brunette eyed enviously.

She tugged on her ribbons again.

She watched as Steven Hyde ran up to the group, who were still staring at her, and whispering amongst each other. He laughed at something Eric said, and then pointed at her.

Oh God, they were talking about her. She felt her face fill with heat, and she glanced away. People were always talking about her. About how rich her daddy was, and how beautiful her mother was. They never asked her about anything, and every time she walked by, the other kids stared at her and whispered to their friends.

She wished she had a friend to whisper to.

She was so lost in thought that she almost missed the ball whizzing towards her. But to the shock of the other kids on the playground, she barely blinked.

And caught the ball.

She glowered at Michael Kelso, the one who'd thrown the ball, stood up, and marched over to the group.

"Hey, loser, if you want to hit me with this, then I'd try aiming a little higher." She said, and then pulled her arm back, and slammed the ball into the air, smiling brightly as it hit Michael right in the nose, "Like that."

His friends started laughing as he shouted in pain, glared at her, and then stalked off the playground.

"Whoa, Jackie, that was awesome!" Donna exclaimed loudly, beaming at the tiny brunette. "I didn't know you knew what a baseball was!"

"Um, that's probably because you've never bothered to talk to me before." Jackie said, shrugging.

The redhead looked sheepish, "Er, yeah, that's true."

"So, Jackie," Eric said, placing an arm across her shoulder. "Since you seem to have one great arm there, would you like to take Kelso's place on the field?"

Jackie beamed up at him, "Sure!"

"Hey!" Steven said, his face pulled back in a scowl. "She can't play, she's a girl!"

"Hyde!" Donna shouted, pushing the scrawny blonde. "I'm a girl too!"

He looked at her, still scowling, "Barely." He glanced back at Jackie, "Anyway, she's wearing a dress." He smirked and crossed his arms, "You can't play catch in a dress."

"Oh really, Steven?" Jackie asked, returning the smirk. She reached up and tugged the ribbons out of her hair, breathing a sigh of relief when her hair fell free, and reached down for the hem of her dress.

Everyone's mouth dropped open as she began to pull it up.

"Ah, ah, girl parts!" Eric shouted, covering his face.

Jackie rolled her eyes, and pulled her dress the rest of the way up, revealing a pair of jean shorts. She bunched up the end of the dress and used the ribbons to tie it into a tight knot.

She looked at Hyde, smirking when she saw the red tint on his face, "Is this good enough for you?"

He glanced away, shrugging, "Whatever."

Jackie grabbed Kelso's fallen mitt, and put it on, grimacing at the too-large size. "It's a little big."

"Oh, here, Jackie," Eric said, grinning as he pulled off his glove. "We can trade, my hands are a little smaller than Kelso's."

Jackie smiled at him, "Thank you, Eric." She handed him Kelso's mitt and took the offered glove, pulling it on. She sighed, it was a much better fit.

"A little smaller? Man, you'd put a petite woman to shame." Hyde sniped, grabbing the baseball from the ground.

"Oooh, burn!" Donna shouted, smiling at Jackie as Eric started sputtering.

Jackie returned the smile, and ran to other side of the field. She motioned for Hyde to begin the game again, and grinned at the flustered look on his face.

She didn't know why he was flustered, after all, she was the new friend, but she it felt to good to throw the boy off his game. She glanced over at Eric and Donna, who were staring at each other and grinning.

She let out a happy sigh and waited for Hyde to throw the ball.

* * *

Ten Years Later

"Hey, kid, get your ass up, you're gonna be late for school!"

Jackie Burkhart rolled over, eyes blinking open. She was met with the familiar sight of her bedroom. Brown, dinghy walls, clothes strewn about the floor, and the face of Alice Cooper staring down at her.

She groaned as the pounding on her bedroom door continued.

"Get your ass up, Jackie!"

"I'll be out in a minute, dammit!" She shouted, pushing her feet off the side of the bed. "Go have another fuckin' beer and stop harassing me!"

"Watch your mouth, young lady!" Came the usual reply as the pounding finally stopped, and she heard her father's footsteps slam down the stairs.

She grimaced at the taste of stale beer in her mouth, leftover from the party she'd attended last night, and reached down to grab a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from the floor. She dressed slowly, because she could feel her stomach rolling slightly, and she really didn't feel like puking.

She heard a horn beep from outside and grabbed her jacket before exiting the room.

* * *

Jackie walked into the kitchen, bypassing her father on her way to the fridge. She ignored him and opened the door, reaching in to grab a carton of milk, and groaning when her hand came up empty.

"Did you forget to buy milk again?" She asked, turning around to glare at her father.

He gave her a surly glance and reached past her to grab a six pack.

"Let me guess," she said, in a sickly sweet voice. "You went down to the bar, picked up a local floozie, and wasted our grocery money on a cheap, motel room."

"You better watch that smart mouth, or I'm going to slap some sense into you."

"Uh-uh," she rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess since I can't get a decent meal here, I'll just be on my way to school." She crossed the kitchen, making her way to the front door.

"Hey, kid!" he shouted, throwing back a beer.

She took a deep breath, and turned around, "What?"

"Don't come home tonight, I'm having some people over." he said before belching and reaching for a bad of chips.

"Thanks for the warning," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'll make a note of it."

* * *

As soon as she got out the door, she let out a deep sigh, and shook her head. Her father was such a bastard, and she was getting really tired of dealing with him day in and day out.

She spied the car waiting for her in the drive-way, and made her way over. Opening the door of the El Camino, she slid in, and stared at the driver.

"Let's get the hell out of here."

The driver grunted, and pulled out onto the road. "Your dad forget to go shopping again?"

"If by forget you mean he went out and spent our money on some cheap whore, then yeah, I guess he did." She said, leaning back in the seat. "He also told me not to come home tonight, he's having some 'friends' over." She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, "So, uh...."

"Yeah, the couch is open." He looked over at her, "You know, you can come and stay at my house if you need to. For as long as you want."

"No," she shook her head. "It's just for tonight. I don't need any handouts."

"Dammit, Jackie, it's not a handout."

"Dammit, Steven!" She mocked, "Yes it is, and I don't want to have this argument again."

"Fine." He muttered as he turned into the school. "But don't come crying to me when you go home tomorrow night and John's still there with some whore from the bar."

She glared at him, and slammed a fist into his forearm. "I don't cry."

"Oh yeah." He smirked as he parked the car. "What about that time in fourth grade when I tore the head off your barbie doll?"

"I wasn't crying, you bastard!" She cried as she exited the car. "I had something in my eye."

"Sure, sure," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Something in your eye."

"Uh-uh."

TBC......


End file.
